The day I found out I was dying, James broke up with me. I have been James Evan’s “contract lover” for five years, until his true love came back. He canceled our contract and told me to get lost. I thought that after five years, his frozen heart would thaw for me. How wrong I was. So I packed my things and left. Without telling him… I only had three months left to live. —— James Evans’s private jet landed at LAX international airport at 7:00 PM. By 7:30 P.M, Amelia Garcia was taken to the Silver Tower Penthouse as requested. Per their contract, she had to be thoroughly cleaned “inside and out” without any traces of perfume or makeup. She strictly followed his preferences, thoroughly cleaned herself, changed into a silk pajama, and then went to the bedroom on the second floor. James was already working on his computer. When Amelia entered the room, he gave her a casual glance. “Come here,” he demanded. His voice was cold and emotionless, weighing heavily on Amelia’s heart. James was enigmatic, Ameilia didn’t dare to hesitate for a moment, worried that he might get angry with her, and quickly walked over to him. Before she could steady herself, he pulled her into his arms and lifted her chin with his long fingers. He lowered his head and kissed her ruby lips, the kiss was aggressive, without any traces of warmth. James might seem noble and restrained, but he showed no such thing when it came to sex. He was never tender with her. No sweet talk, no soft kisses. Just sex. He had been abroad on a business trip for three months, he probably wouldn’t let Amelia go easily tonight. As she had expected, he was rougher than usual. James didn’t stop his thrusts until she was too exhausted. … When Amelia woke up, she found herself alone in bed, but the sound of running water came from the bathroom. She looked in the direction of the water sound and saw a slender figure reflected on the frosted glass. Amelia was surprised because James usually left without waiting for her to wake up after their encounters. But this time, he didn’t leave. She struggled to sit up from the bed and quietly waited for the man to come out. A few minutes later, the sound of running water stopped abruptly, and James came out wrapped in a bath towel. Water droplets from the tips of his hair fell onto his bronze skin, slowly sliding down his abs, the firm and strong lines carrying a deadly temptation.His face was finely chiseled, exquisitely handsome, with sharp, distinct features. His eyes, almond-shaped in hazel in color, were aloof and distant, deep and unreadable. James’ charm armed him from head to toe, and so did his cold aura. In one glance, you can tell this man was not easy to get along with. Seeing that Amelia was awake, he gave her a cold look and said, “You don’t need to come anymore.” Amelia was stunned. What did he mean by “No need to come anymore?” James withdrew his gaze from her, turned around, and handed her a document. “I’m canceling our contract, you’re fired.” He said fired. Not break up. Because that’s their relationship, the employer and the employee. Nonetheless, his words stung. As soon as Amelia saw the document laid out before her, she understood. He didn’t leave early today because he didn’t want her to be his secret lover anymore. After being with him for five years, Amelia always knew this day would come, but she didn’t expect it would end so abruptly—No reason or explanation. Suppressing the sharp pain in her heart, Amelia slowly raised her head and gazed at James, who was now fully dressed. “The contract will expire in six months. Can’t we wait for a little longer?” she asked, somewhat pleading. The doctor said she only had three months left and she wanted to stay with him until the end of her life. James didn’t respond, just looking at her with a cold gaze, showing no regret at all, as if he was kicking away a toy he had grown tired of playing with. His silence was all she needed, it meant, his decision was final. After five long years of trying, Amelia had failed to thaw Jame’s frozen heart. She knew it was time for her to wake up from her illusion. Amelia took the contract and put on a fake smile, attempting to feign indifference. “Don’t be so serious, I was just joking.” she teased. “I’m glad this is over, I get six months off, how perfect!” Amelia added as if to convince herself. James paused as he adjusted his shirt sleeves, then lifted his cool gaze to size up Amelia. On her face, there was no sadness, only a hint of excitedness… or relief? James frowned and asked, “You’re glad it’s over?” Amelia nodded like she didn’t care. “Yes, I’m not young anymore. It’s time for me to get married and have children. I can’t always be with your contract lover, can I?” What a perfect lie. She laughed at herself in her mind, it was impossible for her to get married or have children, but in front of James, she had to leave with dignity and grace. She forced a smile and asked James, “Does that mean I can finally have a normal boyfriend once I leave here?” James’ eyes were filled with deep and unidentifiable emotions. After staring at her for a while, he put up his watch and turned to leave. “Do whatever you want.” Those were the last words he said before he left. Looking at his back, Amelia’s smile faded. James hated it when other people touched his things, including his woman, but he didn’t react when he heard she wanted to have a boyfriend. Seems like… He really is sick of her.
After James left, Andrew, his assistant, walked in with the pill. He handed the pill to Amelia and said respectfully, “Ms. Garcia, please take it as usual.” This was a birth control pill. He didn’t love her, let alone allow her to get pregnant. After having sex, Andrew would always come with the pill and he would stand there watching to make sure she took it. Staring at the pill, Amelia’s heart started to hurt. She wasn’t sure if the pain was caused by heart failure or James’s cruelty, but regardless, it was so intense that she struggled to take a breath. “Ms. Garcia…” Seeing that Amelia didn’t take the pill, Andrew urged her with a nervous expression, afraid that she would cause trouble on the last night with James. Amelia glanced at him, took over the pill, and put it in her mouth. She didn’t even drink water with it and forced it down. Andrew let out a breath of relief, then he took an apartment deed and check from his briefcase and placed them in front of Amelia. “Ms. Garcia, this is Mr. Evans’ compensation for you. In addition to real estate and luxury cars, he also gave you 5 million dollars. All yours.” How generous. Too bad, he never knew what she truly wanted. “I don’t want it,” Amelia looked up at Andrew with a smile and said. Andrew was stunned and confused. “Do you think it’s not enough?” Hearing this, Amelia felt heartbroken. Even Andrew thought she was doing it for the money, let alone James. He offered her such a high breakup fee. Was it because he was afraid she would pester him again for more money in the future? Amelia picked up the bag beside her with a bitter smile, took out a debit card, and handed it to Andrew. “This is all the money James paid me over the years, I never spent a single penny. You can give it all back to him. Oh and the pin number for this card is his birthday.” Andrew was dumbfounded. Did Ms. Garcia really never use any of Mr. Evans’ money in the past five years? Amelia didn’t care whether Andrew believed her or not. She placed the card on the pile of documents Andrew brought for her. Then she turned around and left the Silver Tower Penthouse … Winter was cold in Arcadia. Amelia walked alone on the empty street. Her thin figure was cast on the ground by the street light, looking gaunt and fragile. She tightened her beige coat, gritted her teeth, and walked back to her apartment in her high heels. She pushed the door open. It was huge inside, taking up an entire floor. Despite the luxurious decorations, the apartment couldn’t seem to dispel the chill that permeated Amelia’s heart. She sat on the sofa, stared blankly at the surroundings for a moment, then Amelia began to pack. This apartment was also given to her by James. Since he did not want her anymore, she would not take anything that he gave her. Amelia took out her suitcase, opened the closet, and put all her clothes into the suitcase. She didn’t bring many things here, and after a quick pack, she left the apartment with her suitcase. After getting into the car, she sent a text message to Andrew. [Andrew, the password of Hudson Apartment is 0826.] Andrew was smart. He immediately understood when he saw the text message. Not only did Ms. Garcia not spend a penny from Mr. Evans, but she also didn’t want the apartment Mr. Evans gave her. She had packed her stuff promptly and efficiently, she was nothing like the girl from five years ago. The crying girl who begged Mr. Evans to purchase her virginity for a million dollars. Andrew returned to the company, handed the things back to James, and told him what Amelia said. With an indifferent gaze, James glanced at the items on his desk. Then, his cold gaze was fixed on the debit card. “There is an added one million dollars in there?” he asked Andrew coldly. “Yes.” Andrew nodded. Before Andrew returned to the company, he went to the ATM to check the balance on the card. Other than the money that Mr. Evans transferred to Amilea every month, there were another million dollars in it. Obviously, this was the money Amelia had returned to James for buying her that night. James frowned. After pondering for a while, he stretched out his hand, picked up the card, and snapped it in half He pushed the pile of deed certificates and other things towards Andrew and said in a cold voice, “Get rid of it then.” Andrew opened his mouth and wanted to say something nice for Amelia, but James had already turned on his computer and started to work. Andrew sensibly shut his mouth, picked up the pile of documents, and left the office.
Amelia took her suitcase to her friend Eva Miller’s residence. She gently knocked on the door and waited. She and Eva were both orphans who grew up together in the same orphanage. They were like sisters. “Amelia, if anything happens to you, come home.” Eva said when James took Amelia away five years ago. Because of Eva, Amelia was able to easily move out of the apartment James bought for her. She still had a home to return to. Eva soon opened the door. A wide smile appeared on her face when she saw Amelia. “Amelia, what are you doing here?” Amelia tightened her grip on the suitcase and said with somewhat embarrassment, “Eva, I need a place to crash.” Only then did Eva see the suitcase in her hand, and the smile on her face instantly froze. “What’s wrong?” Eva asked Amelia with a worried expression. “I just broke up with him.” Amelia forced a smile to hide her pain. Eva looked closely at Amelia and saw past her pretense in a matter of seconds. Her heart ached for her best friend. Amelia was thin and pale, her eyes sunken. Eva hugged her tightly. “Don’t worry. I’m here for you.” Amelia couldn’t help but tear up at Eva’s words.She hugged Eva and patted her gently on the back. “I’m fine, Eva. Don’t worry.” Eva knew that Amelia was just trying to comfort her. She knew how much Amelia liked James. In the past five years, Amelia had worked hard to earn a million dollars and return it to James. She was so naive and innocent to believe that as long as she returned the money back to him, his feelings for her would change. Maybe if she gave him back the money, they could… be something more than just “employer and employee.” But in the end, she couldn’t be more wrong. Eva remembered that rainy night five years ago… If it weren’t for Ryan Jones, she wouldn’t have met James. If that accident never happened, Amelia would have had a happy life. But the past is in the past, and there’s no time machine. Amelia didn’t want to burden Eva with her sorrow. After gently pulling back from the hug, she smiled and said, “Girlie, aren’t you going to let me in? It’s freezing out here!!” Eva was relieved to see Amelia still as strong and energetic as before. She believed that Amelia would soon recover from this breakup. For orphans like them who had no one to rely on, being abandoned is a walk in the park for them, right? Nothing would drag them down as long as they were still alive. With this in mind, Eva felt better. She took Amelia’s suitcase and led her into the house. “Amelia, don’t say things like you need a place to crash or anything like that. This is your home too. You can stay as long as you want!” After that, she turned around, fetched clean pajamas, and handed them to Amelia. “Go take a shower. I’ll make you something to eat, have a good sleep. Don’t think about anything else, okay?” “Okay.” Amelia took the pajamas and nodded. Eva had always been like this. She was unconditionally good to her, like a beam of light that sliced through the darkness in her life. It was a pity that Amelia suffered from terminal heart failure, and her life was soon coming to an end. If Eva found out that she was going to die, with such a kind and gentle heart, she would cry. Amelia didn’t want to make her cry. She looked at the busy figure in the kitchen and slowly walked over. “Eva, I want to quit my job.” Eva nodded in agreement and said, “Yeah, you should. You have been working hard for years. God, you must be exhausted. Quit your job and take a good rest at home. Don’t worry about the money anymore, I got your back.” “Okay,” Amelia responded and felt her heart warm. Then she turned around and went to the bathroom with tears in her eyes. Fate had never favored her. If she and Eva were meant to be apart from each other, she should use the last three months of her life to be with Eva, to keep her company. The next morning, Amelia put on some makeup to cover up her pale face and lips, and went to the company to quit her job. Just as she sat down and was about to turn on the computer to write her resignation letter, her colleague Bella came over. “Amelia, have you read the email?” Amelia shook her head. She spent the whole weekend in James’ penthouse, so she didn’t have time to read the email. “Lily sent a letter of appointment saying that the chairman’s daughter will come to take office as CEO today,” Bella explained. Amelia had no impression of the chairman’s daughter, so she was not interested. She was about to quit anyway, it didn’t matter to her who was going to take over the CEO position. Bella on the other hand was very intrigued, “I heard she had just returned from studying abroad, so she doesn’t have much work experience. Is she even qualified for the job?” Another colleague, Olivia, sneered and said, “Who would dare question her? She is the long lost love of Mr. Evans.” Hearing this, Amelia froze on the spot.
“Oh em gee, REALLY?” Bella’s jaw hung open in shock. She pulled Olivia close and whispered excitedly, “Didn’t you say that the CEO of the Evans Group wasn’t interested in women? Sounds like he might have a secret love! AND she’s the future CEO of our company!?” Olivia patted Bella’s hand with a smile. “You really should try to be more informed about these things, Bella. How can you work in the CEO’s office and not know all this hot gossip?” “Well c’mon, hurry up and tell me now, I’m all ears!” Bella said, quickly tugging on Olivia’s sleeve. Olivia lowered her voice. “Mr. Evans and the chairman’s daughter were childhood sweethearts. Rumor has it, Mr. Evans proposed to Ms. Moore five years ago. But she turned him down to focus on her studies, so they split up. They haven’t even contacted each other for the last five years. But as soon as Ms. Moore returned to the country, Mr. Evans personally went to the airport to pick her up. That’s enough to prove that Mr. Evans still has strong feelings for her.” Bella covered her mouth, widened her big round eyes, and almost exclaimed, “Oh my god! It’s like the perfect sweet romance!” Amelia’s heart ached in her chest, and gloom spread through her face. So the truth was… James terminated their contract early because his long lost love, his real love, had come back. But if he already had a childhood love, why did he buy her for one night five years ago? And after sleeping with her just once, he even forced her to sign a contract to continue their “relationship”. And whenever he touched her, he went so crazy that he couldn’t control himself and keep his hands off her, spending hours and hours in bed together. Amelia couldn’t believe it. Just as she was about to ask Olivia where she had heard this gossip, the elevator opened with a ding! The executive assistant of the chairman, Lily, and several department managers walked out first. Right after, a man in a luxurious suite with a cold aura followed. He had a face and body carved and chiseled by the gods, with the same aloof temperament. He seemed almost unreal, like he’d stepped out of an oil painting, a mix of elegance and coldness, always keeping a distance from others. Amelia would recognize that face anywhere. ‘James…’ Lily gestured to the people inside. “Mr. Evans, Ms. Moore, here is the president’s office. This way please.” ‘Why is he here?’ she thought, watching James turn and offer his hand to someone in the elevator. Then, a delicate, fair hand was placed in his, and a woman stepped out. The moment Amelia saw her face, she finally understood why James bought her for the night and made their contract, all those years ago. Except for a few minor differences, Amelia had almost the exact same face as James’ former lover. She used to think James would return her feelings one day and love her for who she was, but now she knew… she was just a temporary substitute. Her chest suddenly tightened, and pain swept through her body, turning her face pale. Bella immediately asked with concern, “Amelia? What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?” Amelia shook her head gently, and before Bella could say anything else, Lily led the two of them over. She quickly lowered her eyes and didn’t dare look them in the eyes. She couldn’t stop her hands from trembling on the keyboard as Lily introduced them one by one. “This is the president’s office. The assistants here are available to help you with anything you need, Ms. Moore.” Ms. Moore nodded, looked at everyone, and said softly, “Good morning, everyone. My name’s Emily Moore. Starting today, I’ll be your new CEO.” ‘Emily…’ Amelia couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs, and she felt lightheaded. Memories started flooding back of her and James, their bodies writhing and entwined in bed. Every time, he’d softly call out a name that she could never fully hear, and she always hoped it was hers—Amelia… Only now did she realize that he was not calling out to her, but to Emily… Amelia clenched her fists, and her long nails dug into her flesh, but she felt no pain. The suffocating feelings of humiliation and abandonment overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t fight her tears. She was so stupid to have fallen in love with James, a man who would never ever love her back.
After exchanging pleasantries, Emily took James’s arm and followed Lily to the CEO’s office. Bella craned her neck and looked at their backs with envy. “Mr. Evans personally picked her up and escorted her on her first day of work? That HAS to mean he still loves her!” Olivia patted her shoulder and said, “It’s not just that. She’s only just returned to the country and she’s already taking over as CEO, so the old shareholders may not be completely convinced she’s up to the task. By personally escorting her on her first day, Mr. Evans is warning everyone that she has the backing of the Evans Group!” “He’s so quick to show his love and support for her. Mr. Evans really is the perfect man.” Bella cupped her hand on her chin and sighed. Olivia’s eyes were also full of jealousy. “If she weren’t the chairman’s daughter, she wouldn’t have been chosen by the most powerful man inArcadia,” she said. Bella shook her head disapprovingly. “Don’t think so. Ms. Moore is accomplished too. She’s highly educated and classy, and obviously she also looks beautiful . Speaking of her looks…” Bella looked at Amelia and continued, “Amelia… don’t you think you look kind of similar to our new CEO?” Olivia also came over to take a close look. “Jesus… you do look a bit like her, Amelia. But honestly I think you’re way prettier!” “Don’t be ridiculous,” Amelia said abruptly, and then she got up and went to the bathroom. “What’s up with her?” Bella looked at Amelia’s thin back and asked worriedly. Olivia sneered and said, “Maybe she’s jealous because she thinks Emily is so much luckier than her, even though they practically have the same face!” Bella didn’t continue. Olivia had always been two-faced, so it was better not to talk to her too much. Amelia entered the bathroom and quickly took out some medicine to relieve the pain in her heart. She was so anxious that she swallowed it down without drinking any water. After calming down for a few long moments, she turned on the faucet, splashed her face with cold water, and looked up at her reflection. It was clear that Amelia’s illness was ravaging her body, her cheeks sunken and her skin dull. ‘But Emily…’ While she was in a daze, the bathroom door opened, and in came Emily, her high heels clicking with each step. Her face was soft and delicate, with a rosy glow, and she exuded an effortless elegance. It was like Bella said. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was educated, classy, successful… Everything that Amelia was not. When her eyes met Emily’s, she felt inferiority pierce through her chest. She quickly lowered her head, pulled out a tissue, and turned to leave. “Wait a minute.” Emily suddenly called out to her. Amelia froze on the spot. She felt a strange sense of shame flow through her, after spending so many years as this woman’s “substitute”. Emily walked up to her and smiled gently. ” You’re an assistant in the CEO’s office, right? Was it ‘Amelia?’” Amelia tried to calm her pounding heart, lowered her head, and nodded at Emily. “Yes that’s right, Ms. Moore.” “Nice to meet you again, Amelia.” Emily raised the watch on her wrist, looked at the time, and said to her, “I’m going to hold a board meeting in half an hour. Can you make me a coffee and send it to my office? I need a little ‘pick-me-up’.” Amelia was a little hesitant. James was still in the president’s office, after all. But she had not resigned yet, so she still had to do whatever Emily asked her to. Amelia had no choice but to nod, thinking she would ask Bella to bring the coffee in her place. “Thank you,” Emily said, and walked out with her head held high, the textbook image of a CEO. Her confidence and brilliance were a stark contrast to Amelia. She felt as though she was like a counterfeit Emily. Useless, something to be discarded. Just like James did to her Amelia stood there motionless for a while before she collected herself, exited the bathroom, and went straight to the break room. She made a simple coffee and went to ask one of the others to send it to the CEO’s office. However, they had already been called to perform other tasks, so she had to bring it herself. Amelia timidly knocked twice on the office door. “Come in please.” Emily’s gentle voice came from inside. After taking a deep breath, she summoned the courage to open the door and enter. When she opened the door, she saw Emily sitting on James’s lap. Although she was mentally prepared to see James, she hadn’t expected this sight. Her hands trembled, and she struggled not to spill the coffee all over the floor. Afraid that the two of them would notice her discomfort, she quickly lowered her eyes and pretended as if nothing was wrong. “Ms. Moore, here is your coffee.” Emily was a little embarrassed and said to Amelia, “Just leave it here, thank you.” Amelia nodded, put the coffee on Emily’s desk, and turned to walk out. She didn’t look at James once the whole time. After leaving the CEO’s office, Amelia’s legs buckled under her. She leaned against the wall to regain her balance. The way Emily sat so comfortably in his lap… It reminded Amelia of how James would position her in the same way, when they would have sex. Although the two didn’t do anything explicit, Amelia’s mind was flooded with images of them together before, moaning and grinding and loving each other. She imagined James’s hands touching Emily’s body while she sat in his lap, the same way that James had touched her first. But no… that wasn’t correct. It wasn’t her that James touched first. He had definitely made love to Emily in that position, and so many more, long before she ever came along. Because she… was just his substitute lover.
Amelia pressed down on her chest, trying to force her heartbeat to slow in fear that it would stop, and struggled to return to her desk. She wanted to quit as soon as possible. She couldn’t bear to see the two of them so happily in love in front of her every day, for her few remaining days on Earth. She was afraid she might even lose it, and walk right up to James in front of everyone at the office, weeping and asking him why he couldn’t love her like she loved him. After she finished writing her resignation letter, she went to ask Lily, who was in charge of the CEO’s office, to approve it. Lily never really liked her. She didn’t try that hard to convince Amelia to stay, and only said a few words before agreeing to approve her resignation. The whole process would take a month, and Amelia could not leave immediately, so she had to take half a month of annual leave first. She had worked at Elite International Corporation for five years, and the annual leave she had was 15 days. It would make sense for her to take a break before resigning. Seeing that Amelia was in such a hurry, Lily couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “I can approve your leave, but as soon as it’s over you’d better come back and finish your work before your last day.” “Okay,” Amelia replied. Then, she picked up her bag and left. As she hurried out of the company, she saw Kevin Harris, the president of the Harris Group. He was a well-known pervert in Arcadia, and he loved to play with women, regardless of whether they wanted to play too. Amelia was so scared when she saw him walking towards her, a snakelike smile on his face, that she quickly turned around. But Kevin was quicker. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. “Where are you going in such a rush, baby?” He lowered his head, leaned close to Amelia’s ear, and gently blew against her. His warm breath on her ear made her goosebumps rise, and she shivered in disgust. Amelia pushed Kevin away desperately, but he held her waist tight, unable to move. “You smell so good…” He pushed his nose into her hair and inhaled deeply, while his hands moved upward to touch her chest. Amelia pressed down on his hand and said coldly, “Mr. Harris, please behave yourself.” “Behave? Why should I?” Kevin said mischievously, nibbling on her earlobe. Kevin may have looked unassuming, but his words and actions repulsed Amelia to her core. She turned her head and showed disgust in her eyes. But Kevin didn’t care. In fact, it excited him even more. The more a woman resisted, the more he wanted to conquer her. Kevin lifted her chin with one hand and caressed her cheek with his fingers. “Mr. Harris, please. Have some dignity. We hardly know each other.” Amelia shook off his hand angrily . Kevin first targeted Amelia when she went to deliver documents to the Harris Group a month ago. Since then, he had often come to the company to harass her under the guise of business. Whenever he met her, he touched her inappropriately or harassed her with rude words. Amelia needed this job to earn money, so she couldn’t afford to offend Kevin, and so she always endured his harassment. But now that she was about to leave this company for good, she was no longer afraid of him. Unexpectedly, although she treated him coldly, Kevin was not fazed. He even pinched her face affectionately. “Maybe we aren’t close,” he hissed. “But if you accepted my offer to spend the night with me, we could get to know each other much better.” He was persistent, she gave him that. Amelia suppressed her disgust and pushed his body away. The more she resisted, the tighter his grip on her became. He kissed her hard on her cheek. The feel of his ice-cold lips on her skin almost made Amelia puke. Just as she was about to punch Kevin in the face, she suddenly heard a voice behind her. “James?”
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